As public debates about education issues from school improvement and choice to preventing gun violence become more polarized, the world's largest education research group wants academics to push for more evidence in hot conversations.

The American Educational Research Association's annual conference opens Friday in Toronto, with more than 2,500 research presentations on the agenda, and ends on April 10

AERA President Amy Stuart Wells said the conference was planned to respond to "the frustration a lot of researchers are expressing around decision-making and political discourse related to issues around inequality in the field of education."

AERA plans to hold town hall-style sessions on sexual harrassment in education and gun violence in schools. The conference also plans to livestream sessions for those who cannot attend, including an opening discussion of Canadian and U.S. efforts to respond to historic racism in education systems, such as government "residential schools" that removed Native American children from their families.

The group estimates 14,000 researchers and others will attend the Toronto meeting, about 3,000 less than last year's conference in New York City.

Education Week's technology reporter Benjamin Herold and I will be on hand throughout the conference. Tweet us and let us know what sessions and studies you find fascinating this year and watch this space for dispatches on some of the sessions we attend.

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